Considered box office suicide back in 1976, "The Outlaw Josey Wales" has become for many, their favourite Clint Eastwood western. As he reveals on the new special edition DVD release, it's also a film close to Clint's heart.

TECHNICAL FEATURES

Picture Wow! Made back in 1976? Get used to hearing that from fellow viewers as we all scratch our heads, and wonder how Warner's did such a good job with this fresh-looking, sharp transfer.

Sound Wow again! The creators of this 5.1 mix should be very proud of their effort here. The Oscar-nominated Jerry Fielding music score really takes command of the speakers to dramatic effect. The gunplay and galloping horses of the action scenes gain added ferocity through a liberal but precise use of the subwoofer.

SPECIAL FEATURES

Special Introduction Clint Eastwood introduces "a film that's very close to me" with a few carefully chosen words.

"Eastwood in Action" Made back in 1976, there's a lot of behind-the-scenes footage of Clint directing in this original short documentary. He also narrates some of the proceedings and perfectly sums up his character as "a willing target for anyone he meets".

"Hell Hath no Fury" There can't be many better titles for a 'making of' featurette than this. What's striking about it is the fact that it got made at all - after all, the film was considered "financial leprosy". No one made westerns in the 70s, and even Clint hadn't planned to make one. The cover of the book it was based on was so bad that Clint didn't pick it up for weeks. There's analysis along with interviews on the film's impact for the perception of native Americans, plus Clint's assertion that Wales' spitting habit is "a very bad habit and wouldn't recommend it".

Additional Extra Features Original theatrical trailer.

Region: 2 and 4
Chapters: 35
Ratio: 2.35:1 (anamorphic)
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
Extra Features: Scene selection, multiple languages and subtitles, and English and Italian captions for the hearing impaired.

This DVD was reviewed on a JVC XV-S57 DVD player.